Apparatus for bending container fastener lugs and for printing on containers



Oct. 5, 1954 J. s. FRANKs ETAI. 2,690,727

APPARATUS FOR BENDING CONTAINER FASTENER LUGS AND FOR PRINTING ON CONTAINERS v Filed Feb. 3, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l/11/ lli/V 7' ORS' Oct. 5, 1954 s. FRANKs ET AL J. APPARATUS FOR BENDING CONTAINER FASTENER LUGS AND FOR PRINTING ON CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 3, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wf/Waas J 5'. HPA Mrs' A. HAsMUssF/v Patented Oct. 5, 1954 APPARATUS FOR BENDING CONTAINER FASTENER LUGS AND EOR PRINTING ON CONTAINERS Jerome S. Franks, Cicero, and Clarence R. Rasmussen, La Grange, Ill., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 3, 1951, Serial No. 209,314

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for closing containers, and has for an object thereof the provision of new and improved apparatus for closing containers.

A further object of the apparatus is to provide apparatus for bending lugs of containers to secure covers to the containers and printing data on the containers.

An apparatus illustrating certain features of the invention may include a support and opposed means for clamping a container in a predetermined position on the support. Means are provided for applying a cover to the container, and a printer prints data on a side of the container while it is held by the container-clamping means.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of an apparatus forming a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, partially sectional front elevation of an apparatus forming one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a stepped, horizontal section taken along line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section similar to that shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken along line 6 6 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit for controlling the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown therein a base 9, on which is mounted a horizontally slidable plate I having a socket 8 therein to receive a container I I, which is to be provided with a cover I2. The container II is provided with upwardly extending lugs I3 which are to be crimped over the cover by the machine. The crimping mechanism includes a frame member I4 which extends vertically from the base 9, and which carries an air cylinder I5, the function of which is to actuate the crimping mechanism. The air cylinder I actuates a double acting piston I6 secured adjustably to a sleeve I'I connecting the piston to a rod I8, which is vertically slidable in the sleeve I1 between abutments IS and 20 of the sleeve as limited by a collar 2| fixed to the rod I8. The connecting sleeve I'I is connected at its lower end to a bushing 22, which is in turn connected to a counter-bored anged 2 tube 23. The tube 23 is also provided with a plurality of adjustable collars 24 24, which are adapted to bear against the top of a spider 25 freely slidable on the tube 23, and contained between the collars 24-24 and the flange of the tube 23.

The spider 25 carries, for vertical movement therewith, adjustable push rods 26 26 freely movable within cylindrical slots 2'I 2I formed in a guide block 28 immovable with respect to the base 9. The lower ends of the rods 2I 26 are connected pivotally to lug bending levers 29 29 pivotally mounted on pins 311-30 secured to the guide block 21, the levers 29-29 carry crimping dies 3I 3I, which are moved into positions to crimp the lugs I3 I3 when the rods 26-26 are moved to their lowermost positions. f

The container II is somewhat deformable in construction, and it is necessary to provide a clamping mechanism for firmly supporting the container at points just below the lugs during the crimping operation, and it is also necessary to firmly hold the container during the stamping operation. This clamping mechanism comprises the rod I8 which carries adjustable collars 32-32, which are continuously urged downwardly by a compression spring 33 nested between the bushing 22 and the counter-bored tube 23. The rod I8 is also provided with suitable collars 34 34 which are moved into engagement with the fixed guide 28 to limit downward movement of the rod I8 to prevent clamps 35-35 from exerting too much clamping force. The clamps 35-35 are bifurcated, and are mounted pivotally on the pins 3(1 30 in positions bracketing the levers 29 29. The lower end of the rod I8 is connected to one end of each of toggle joint links 35-36 by a pin 3l. The other ends of the links 3B 36 are connected by pins 38 38 to the clamps 35-35, the lower ends of which carry suitable hardened, clamping members 38 39, which are moved into clamping position when the lowermost collar 34 is moved downward to abut the fixed guide bloc Assuming that the elements are in clamping positions as shown in the drawing, the sleeve I1 has already been moved downwardly by the piston rod I6 out of engagement with the collar 2| at the top of the rod I8 to permit the spring 33 to move the rod I 8 downward a sufficient amount to cause the lowermost collar 34 to abut the block 28. This movement of the rod I8 downward moves the pin 3'I downwardly to swing the clamps 35-35 into engagement with the container Il. As the sleeve I'I continues its downward travel carrying the bushing 22 and the tube 23 along with it, the spring 33 will continue to becompressed. However, no further clamping action will take place, since the lowermost collar 34 is stopped from further downward movement by the fixed guide block 28. In the condition of the machine shown on the drawing, the progress has reached this point, at which time the lowermost collar 34 contacts the spider 25, thereby causing the rods 26-26 to be driven downward, thus effecting the crimping or bending of the lugs |3-|3. During the crimping, the clamps 35-35 support the container at points just below the lugs to prevent distortion of the supported portions of the container.

While the receptacle is still properly clamped, the printing operation is caused to be carried out. The printing equipment includes a pair of irregularly shaped cams 53 and 5i, which are adapted to be rotated through one complete revolution by a one-revolution clutch 52. The clutch is in turn automatically actuated at the end of each crimping operation by a suitable limit switch 53 (Fig. 3) operable by a cam 5ft. 'Ihe cams 5B and 5| are provided with cam rollers 56 and 51, respectively, the cam roller 5S beingI connected to a bell crank lever 53, and the cam roller 51 being connected to a bell crank lever 59, both of which are mounted `pivotally on a pin 6D. The clutch 52 includes a driven shaft B4 having a latching cam 65 secured thereto and a driving element B'I, which may be driven continuously by a sprocket SS driven by an electric motor 70.

The printing and inking apparatus comprises a continuously driven ink roller TI provided with a distributing roll 78, which maintains the ink on the ink roller 'I7 evenly distributed. The printing is carried out by the oiset process, and includes a die F9 carried by a vertically sliding block 80. The upper end of the block 8|) is connected to the bell crank arm 58, and is provided with a camming surface 8|, which causes a transfer roller 82 to be moved into the path of the die 79, thereby transferring ink from the ink roller 'il to the die '19 when the block Sil moves downward. When the die I9 reaches the bottom of its travel, it is in a position opposite a rubber pad 83, which is movable horizontally through the bell crank lever 59 into a position abutting the die 19. As this occurs, liner pins 84-84 mounted for movement with the die in positions bracketing the container enter holes 81-81 in guide brackets 88-88 mounted on the die 'I9 to align the die and the pad. This operation deposits the ink from the die onto the face of the pad 82, which is then slightly retracted by a spring 85 to withdraw the pins 84-84 from the holes 8'I-8'I after which the die I9 is returned to its upward position by action of the cam 50. The pad 83 is then driven to the left by the cam 5| into printing engagement with the container II. The pad 83 is provided with a suitable notch 8S, which allows the pad to pass around the righthand clamp 35, which would normally be in its path.

After the printing operation, the pad 83 is retracted by the spring 85 and the piston I 5 is then driven upwardly. Upward motion of the piston I6 carries the connecting sleeve I7 upward until it contacts the collar 2 I, at which time, the rod IB is carried upward, thus retracting the clamps 35-35 from the container. As the sleeve I'I continues upward, the lower flange on the sleeve 23 engages the lower side of the spider 25 to carry the rods 26--26 upward and moving the crimping dies 3I--3I out of position to allow manual 4 withdrawal of the container I| by the plate I0 and insertion oi the next container.

A control circuit (Fig. 7) of the apparatus includes a three-phase powerline 9G leading to the motor lli and having a manually operable toggle switch 9| therein. A transformer 92 supplies power to conductors 93 and S4. When a normally open loading limit switch S5 is closed by a cam 55 carried with the plate It, which is the case whenever the plate IG is in its retracted position and not in its operating position holdingl the container I I in proper position for operations thereon. a relay winding 9i is energized to close a contact 98 and a holding Contact 39. When the plate I0 is moved to its operating position, the cam 96 is moved out of engagement with the switch 95 to open the switch 95. However, the winding 91 remains energized through a normally closed contact |69 of the limit switch 53 in parallel with the switch 35.

As the plate IIJ reaches its operating position, it engages and closes a normally open operating limit switch |85. This energizes a solenoid winding ii, which pulls a latch |01 (Fig. 3) against a spring |68 out of engagement with a notch |39 in the latching cam 66 to start the one-revolution clutch 52. The latching cam is rotated clockwise to move the notch M3 past the latch, and then a lobe I iii of the cam 54, which is rotated with the latching cam BG, engages the switch 53 to open the Contact I (Fig. '7) and close a normally open contact |20 thereof. Opening of the contact |03 deenergizes the relay winding 91 to -open contacts 98 and 99, thereby deenergizing the solenoid winding |06. Closing the contact |29 energizes a solenoid winding I2I to pull an armature |22 away from its normal, spring pressed position to actuate a four-way valve I 23 to supply air under pressure to the upper end of the cylinder I5 and exhaust air from the lower end thereof. When the cam 54 is rotated to a position in which the lobe II@ moves out of engagement with the limit switch 53 and a dwell |39 engages the limit switch 53, the contact |50 is closed and the contact |20 is opened to deenergize the solenoid winding I2 I. The armature then is urged by spring pressure to a ,position actuating the valve |23 to exhaust the upper end of the cylinder I5 and supply air under pressure to the lower end of the cylinder I5.

Operation With the plate IU in its retracted position, the container II with the cover I2 positioned thereon is placed in the socket 8 in the plate and the plate is slid from its retracted position to its loading position. This movement first opens the switch 95, which has previously been closed to'lock in the relay winding S'l, and then closes the switch ||l5 to energize the solenoid winding |05 to withdraw the latch |07 to actuate the one-revolution clutch 52 to rotate the cams 50, 5|, 54 and 65. As soon as the cam 86 is past its latching position, the cam 51|k actuates the switch 53 to open the contact |00 and close the contact |20. Opening contact |30. breaks the holding circuit of the relay winding 91 which drops out to deenergize the solenoid winding |05. This releases the latch II so that it will stop the cam 56 at the end of the one revolution of this cam.

Closing the contact |20 energizes the solenoid winding |2| to actuate the valve |23 to drive the piston I6 downwardly. The piston pushes the rod I8 through the spring 33 to a. position in which the lowermost collar 34 engages the guide block 28, and, in so doing, the

| 6 first.

clamps 35--35 are moved into clamping engagement with the container l0. Further downward movement of the piston i6 pivots the lug-bending levers 29-29 so as to bend the lugs I3-l3 over the cover I2. The piston I6 then is at the end of its stroke and is held in this position.

As the container l is clamped and the lugs I3--l3 are bent, the cam 5I moves the slide 80 downwardly and the cam 8| moves the inking roller 82 into engagement with the die I9 as it is moved therepast to a position in line with the rubber pad 83, and the cam B moves the pad into engagement with the die to receive inked characters therefrom. The cam 50 then causes the pad 83 to be withdrawn slightly away from the die 'I9 and the cam 5l causes the die 19 to be retracted out of the path of the pad 83. The cam 5I] then moves the pad into engagement with the container Il to print inked characters on the container, and causes the pad to be retracted.

The cam lobe H0 of the cam 54 then is moved out of engagement with the limit switch 53, and the contact mi] (Fig. '7) is closed and the contact |20 is opened to deenergize the solenoid winding l2l, which actuates the valve |23 to retract the piston IB (Figs. 1 and 4). The piston I 6 moves the lug-bending levers 29-29 away from the container and then swings the clamps 35--35 away from the container Il. The plate l0 is moved manually from its operating position to its loading position, and sequentially opens the switch 05 and closes the switch 95 to lock in the relay winding 9?. The container then is removed and the operation described hereinabove is repeated.

The above-described apparatus serves to firmly support and clamp the container Il while the lugs |3-l3 are bent, and the clamps 35--35 and the lug-bending levers 29-29 both hold the container while the rubber pad 83 prints the side thereof.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A combined fastening and printing machine, which comprises a stationary support, a ram movable toward and away from the support, means for moving the ram toward and away from the support, a slide mounted slidably on the support for sliding a container having lugs at the top thereof and a cap placed over the lugs to a position between the ram and the support, a pair of opposed jaws carried by the ram, means for moving the jaws to positions clamping the container on opposite sides thereof as the ram is moved toward the support, means carried by the ram for bending the lugs over the cap while the jaws are in gripping engagement with the container, a printer, and means operating in synchronism with movement of the ram for moving the printer into engagement with a side of the container while the jaws are clamping the container and the lug-bending means are in engagement with the container.

2. A combined fastening and printing machine, which comprises a stationary support, a ram reciprocable toward and away from the support, means for reciprocating the ram with respect to the support, a slide having a socket therein adapted to receive the bottom portion 'of' a container having lugs at the top thereof and a cover placed over the lugs mounted slidably on the support for sliding the container to a position between the ram and the support, a pair of opposed jaws carried by the ram, means for moving the jaws to positions supporting the container on opposite sides thereof as the ram is moved toward the support, means carried by the ram for bending the lugs over the cap while the jaws are in supporting engagement with the container, a printer, and means operating in timed relationship with movement of the ram for moving the printer into engagement with a side of the container while the jaws are in engagement with the container.

3. A combined fastening and printing machine, which comprises a stationary support, clamping means movable toward and away from the support, means for moving the clamping means toward and away from the support, a slide having a socket therein adapted to receive the bottom portion of a container having lugs at the top thereof and a cap placed over the lugs mounted slidably on the support for sliding the container to a position between the clamping means and the support, means for actuating the clamping means to clamp and support the container on opposite sides thereof as the clamping means is moved toward the support, means carried by the ram for bending the lugs over the cap while the jaws are in supporting engagement with the container, a printer, and means operating in timed relationship with respect to the movement of the ram for moving the printer into engagement with a side of the container while the jaws are clamping the container.

4.\A combined capping and printing machine, which comprises a support, a ram reciprocable toward and away from the support, means for reciprocating the ram with respect to the support, a feed slide for moving a rectangular container having lugs at the mouth thereof to a position on the support in line with the ram, a carrier mounted slidably on the ram, means urging the carrier toward the support, a jaw mounted pivotally on the carrier offset to one side thereof, a jaw mounted pivotally on the carrier offset to the side of the carrier opposite to the first-mentioned side thereof, lug-benders carried by the ram for bending the lugs over a cover on the carrier, means for stopping movement of the carrier and moving the jaws into clamping engagement with said sides of the container prior to engagement with said sides of the container prior to engagement of the lug-benders with the lugs, a printer movable to a printing position engaging the container and to a retracted position, means responsive to movement of the ram for moving the printer to and from said printing position while the jaws are clamping the container, and inking means movable in synchronism with the movement of the ram for inking the printer when the printer is not in its printing position.

5. A combined closing and marking machine, which comprises a pair of opposed clamps movable to and from clamping positions, a pair of lug-benders movable to and from lug-bending positions, lost-motion means for moving the clamps and the lug-benders sequentially to said clamping and lug-bending positions, duid-pressure means for operating the lost-motion means, a carriage movable between a loading position and an operating position for locating a container having lugs between the clamps, av printer, cam means for moving the printer into engagement with a container and retracting it, solenoid valve means for actuating the fluid pres.- sure means, relay means for actuating the cam means, a limit switch operable by movement of the carriage to its loading position for actuating the relay means, a switch operable by the cammeans for energizing the solenoid valve means to actuate the duid-pressure means, and. means for stopping the cam means.

6. A lug-bending apparatus, which comprises means for supporting. a container having lugs projecting upwardly from the sides. thereof, a guide mounted above the support, a pair of lugbending levers mounted pivotally on the guide, a pair of clamping levers having bifurcated portions bracketing the lug-bending levers mounted pivotally on the guide, a rod slidable in the guide, a pair of links connecting the rod to the clamping levers, operating means mounted above the guide movable toward the guide, a pair of links connecting the lug-bending levers to the operating means, means connecting the rod to the operating means for limited movement to ward and away from the operating means, means urging the rod away from the operating means, means for moving the operating means toward the guide to move sequentially the clamping levers into engagement with the container and the lug-bending levers into engagement with the lugs to bend them, and means for holding the rod against further movement with the operating means after the clamping levers have been moved into engagement with the container.

7. A combined closing and marking machine, which comprises means for clamping an article, means for deforming a clamped article, a carriage movable between a loading position and an operating position for locating an article in position to be clamped and deformed, uidpressure actuated means for operating the article-clamping means and the article-deforming means, a source of uid under pressure, a

valve for connecting the source to the iiuid-k pressure actuated means, a solenoid having a winding forA actuating the valve, a printer, cam means for reciprocating the printer to and from an article in said position thereof, a single revolution clutch having a driven member connected to the cam means, a driving member and a latch, continuously driven means for rotating the driving clutch member continuously, a clutch solenoid having a winding for releasing the latch, a powerline for supplying power to said solenoid windings in parallel, a relay having a winding in series with the powerline and in parallel with the solenoid windings, a normally open holding Contact and a normally open operating contact in series with the clutch solenoid winding, a loading limit switch in series with the relay winding closable by the carriage when the carriage is in its loading position and openable when the carriage is in its operating position, an operatingv limit switch in series with the holding contact closable by the carriage when the carriage is in its operating position and openable when the carriage is in its loading position, a third switch having a contact in series with the valve-actuating solenoid winding and a second contact in series with the holding contact and the operating limit switch, and a cam rotated with the driven clutch member for closing the i'lrst contact of the third limit switch and opening the second Contact thereof shortly after the start of the revolution of the driven clutch member and for opening said rst Contact and closing said second contact near the end of the revolution of the driven clutch member.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 265,617 Marsh Oct. 10, 1882 1,025,637 Meier May 7, 1912 1,739,875 Tevander Dec. 17, 1929 2,017,495 Grotnes Oct. 15, 1935 2,357,277 Weimont Aug. 29, 1944 2,559,904 Swanson July 10, 1951 

